Thread letoff feeding mechanism



May 17', 1949- v G. o. YOUNG 2,470,124

THREAD LETOFF FEEDING MECHANISM 5 Sheets-Sheet '1 Filed Sept. 2, 1947 George 0. YOLLM/y,

G. O. YOUNG THREAD LETOFF FEEDING MECHANISM May 17, 194-9.

3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 2, 1947 grwwwtog amye 0 Young,

May 17, 1949. e. o. YOUNG THREAD LETOFF FEEDING MECHANISM 5 Shets-Sheet 5 Filed Sept. 2, 1947 Patented May 1?, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE THREAD LETOFF FEEDING MECHANISM George 0. Young, Robesonia, Pa., assignor to Vanity Fair Mills, Inc., Reading, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application September 2, 1947, Serial No. 771,618

9 Claims. 1

cycle. In order to prevent formation of so-called stop marks frequently formed in fabrics when the beam let-off is uneven or irregular it has been found desirable to provide some means to effect a continuous rotation of the beam in a manner to let-off exactly the amount of thread or yarn that is required by the needles.

While means have heretofore been devised for turning the beam or beams continuously during the knitting process, such means have been more or less complicated and expensive due to the changing speed of the beam as the thread is wound off.

My present invention has for its object to provide a beam etc. let-off or thread feeding mechanism of a simple and effective construction, inexpensive to produce and fully automatic in operation, serving to let-off thread at a continuous uniform linear speed regardless of the lessening diameter of the beam as the thread is taken from it.

In general, I provide for each beam a let-01f device operated through a belt drive directly applied to the thread on the beam, the belt being kept under a constant tension throughout the operation of the machine and being driven at.

knitting machine embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same.

Fig. 3 is a detail schematic cross section showing the relative relations of the mechanism con stituting the essence of the invention.

Fig. 4 is' a detail rear elevation showing how the spreader passes the threads from beneath the belt past the sides of the same.

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view of a modification.v

In the drawings in which like numerals of reference indicate like parts in all the figures, l represents one of the end frames of the knitting machine whichare connected together by a bar 2 and are of the usual construction and per se do not constitute a part of my invention.

Angle iron bars 3 are secured to each side frame I and support an angle iron 4 which connects one bar 3 with the other and carries a pair of roller supporting plates 5 that are spaced apart to re- .ceive rollers 22 and 24 between them. One plate 5, at least, is provided with an extension 6 to which is secured an arm I that carries a stub shaft 8 on which a flanged pulley 9 is journalled.

A free flanged pulley II rides on pulley 9 and has a shaft II] from which is freely suspended a pair of hanger bars 12 having a cross pin l3 to which is hooked a weight M.

Mounted in bearing apertures in the plates 5 are the roller shafts 2| and 23 respectively. The shafts 2| and 23 are geared together by spur gears l5 and I6. The shaft 23 extends through .a bearing [8 mounted on the angle iron bar 4 and carries a sprocket l'l over which an endless chain 5| passes.

The shaft [9 of the upper beam is suitably mounted in suitable bearings in the end frames I.

An endless belt 25 passes around the beam in direct contact with the thread or yarn, 29, 29 of the same. The belt also passes under roller 24, over roller 22, and under pulley II and over pulley 9. The weight M maintains a constant tension on the belt at all times.

A spreader plate 26 is mounted between the upper and lower flights of the belt 25 to the rear of the beam 20, as is also a spreader rod 21. All thread 29 except that beneath the belt is taken from the beam in the usual way. The thread 29 from beneath the belt is taken from the place where the belt leaves the beam and passed under the bar 21 from which it passes through holes 26 in the spreader plate 26 which holes are located to either side of the location of the belt and the threads 29 thus by-pass the belt before going under a guide bar 28 from which the thread goes to the usual tension rod (not shown) of the machine on the way to the thread guides and needles (also not shown).

When two beams per machine are used the thread feeding mechanism is duplicated for the other beam and the two mechanisms are hooked up together to operate simultaneously. This is accomplished as follows: Supporting bars 30 are secured to the bar 2 and carry a pair of roller supporting plateslll between which a second 3 pair of rollers 44, 45 are located, their shafts 33 and 62, respectively, being mounted in bearing holes in the plates 40. The plates 40 are connected by spacing rods 46. A bearing bracket 32- is provided for the shafts 32 and 33.

A bracket 3i carries an idler shaft 3 3 on which is mounted an idlergear 31 which meshes with a driving'g r 38 on a shaft 35 that is driven iii any suitable was; from the "cam shaft (n'ot'sh'otiin) 6f the knitting machine. The idler gear 31 also meshes with a gear 38 on the shaft 32.

The counter shaft 32 also has 'agear 39 that meshes with a gear 39 on g shait 33. The shaft 33 is provided with a sprocket ffifinplan'e with sprocket H and with an idler "spro'cket lil earned by an arm 49 that is secured at 50 to the end frame I shown in Figs. 1 arid 2.

The rollers 14 and 45 are geared together by gears M and 13 on their respective shafts '33 l at we sprinters n, '41 'and V tllzfeifpiier bamlet-off is driven the harms 6f la-war beam let-off as best shown -1 The shaftE ofthe ovier bainm'ismountedin w H 1h 11'' me i and a belt 54 er the roller '44, over ange'd pulley til. The

er filyslispended from its ha e a'-(':ro'ss-pin -62 from suspended for the ant tension on the d spreader plate 55 the flights of a belt ,the rcllers l22an'd y of the machine, the spreader pla't'e F2 6 ts 16 "between 'the "upper nd lower flights of the belt [25 "in front of the "Other"rhodifidations"will be apparent to'those skilled. inthe art.

. 7 From the foi'ging 'it' will be semthat "as the thread diameters of the beams decrease the belts *viillrernainih*cohtact 'With the saline at-a con- E'stant tension and so the linear speed 'of the "threads from "beams to the "needles will remain "constant. 7

a The rollers 22, 24,"4=4,*45 ai e preferably made sofrubberorrubber faced rollersniay be used with "belts of suitable norrsli'pmaterial.

"From theforegoing-descriptiontaken in connectlon "with "the accompanying drawings it is thought the"construction,operation and advan- '.-:tages of: my invention will be-clear to those skilled in the ait.

What Iclaim is:

. 1. In a=thread-l'et'-ofimechanism, "in combination with-a -beam,' an*e'ndl"e"ss driving 'b'elt' taking "over the thread *on the -beaiin;means fordriiiihg lsaidbelt ata-fixedli'r'ieafi speed, means for'h'ia'in- '45 'bel t pu'lley 4 taining tension on said belt by virtue of all of which the thread leaves the beam at the same constant linear speed as that of the belt, and means to by-pass the belt with the thread that is 5 unrolled from beneath the belt.

2. A thread let-off mechanism according to claim l wherein the by pas sing means comprises a spreaar plate engaging the'thread to be bypassed.

3. A thread let-off mechanism according to claim 1 wherein the by-passing means comprises a spreader pl-ate engaging the thread to be bypassed and a spreader rod engaged by the thread Ftobe lly passed before it passes to the spreader plate,

4. Iin'akiiittiiigfirinachine employing at least two (beams,'theiihpfiovefhent which comprises: a let- Qfi mechanism for each beam, each said let-off mechanism including an endless beam-driving belt running on the thread of the beam, means to drive belt a biins'tarit iifiar speed, means to maintain tah 'sibn cn sa'id belt, and eivbgfithe' threadfrommeneathtlfe belt and spreading itilat'erally -tofby p'a's's the belt.

'a piir'rfary d-r ive tobiie fsald bltidrivihgmeans. 6. an aflr'iiittih smasher-sta n provided'a n ame; in alled ambearmgs m g-b elt 'passed-cifer pair of belt driving "tabl'ymo'un'ted on e id fillers from said t at a? t t-speed ,'mearis for takihgfit-lie"thi" of-the'beaiii which isbene'ath the belt and bv fs-fiig't belt tvith said"threadand to inaintain a constafit tension "on said a v, ,c

'7.-'-In-"-a thread iet an iriechahismfor 'b'eams, 'ja beam supporting frame, bearing plates "mounted t-difiv'ingfroll ershaving 't xedly'loca'teii I eight'ed free fixedly "lo'cat'eil elt en aging said pulley H ngrou thebearn on'as'ece 't'hreaus thereof,ineanstd'calise said rollers to drive the belt ata predetermined linear sp-eeu an thereby rep-6 ftl'ii'ead attir same the-'t htana'means for'det'litlir'blt' as it is let-off driving shat g I 'toclaim 7"wli-ere'ih ans ne qes "an apermrsa gh whos apertures the m beneath the belt are threads released at p" sea.

filling pew er is j o5 REFERENGE's dfiED The ifo llotvif g referiicesare of record in the file of ""this patent: 

